For underground cables



B. H. WESSLAU.

, COUPLING FOR UNDERGROUND GABLES.

Patented N0v. 26,' 1889.

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(N9 Model.)

maximums maew UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRORllEMMlNG VESSLAU, OF CHARLOTTENBURG, PRUSSIA, GERMANY.

COUPLING FOR UNDERGROUND CABLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,143, dated November 26, 1889.

Originalapplicatiop filed February 4, 1887, Serial No. 226,575. Divided and this application filed December 29, 1888. Serial No. 294,937- (No model.) Patented in Germany April 27, 1887, Nos. 42,256 and 43,673; in England September 2, 1887, No. 11,932 in France December 20, 1887,1To. 187,711, and in Austria-Hungary February 18, 1888, No. 44,641 and No. 5,213;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BROR HEMMING- Wnss- LAU, asubject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at Charlottenburg, in the Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Coupling Underground Cables, (which have been patented in the German Empire by Letters Patent No. 42,256 and No. 43,673, of April 27, 1887, and in England by Letters Patent No 11,932, of September 2, 1887; in France by Letters Patent No. 187,711, of December 20, 1887; in Austria- Hungary by Letters Patent No. 44,641/ 87, tome 38, folio 351, and No. 5,213, tome XXII, folio 325, of February 18, 1888;) andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a new and simplified construction of joints for coupling underground cables having only one conductor, and of cases or boxes for pro tecting the same from external injuries, this application being a division of one filed by me on the 4th day of February, 1887, Serial No. 226,575.

Cables which are used to convey electric energy generated at some point to places of consumption at greater or less distances must, partly wit-l1 one another, partly with other conductors, be electrically connected. For this purpose connectionsare necessary which have to fulfill two requirements: In the first place, such connections must be safe mechanically and electrically, and, secondly, be well insulated and protected against injury. Different kinds of such connections are necessary, as will be hereinafter stated and described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by similar letters, Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of an end-closure according to my invention, which is adapt-ed to be used with a cable the conductor of which consists of a single solid wire. Fig. 2 is side View, partly in section, of a connector adapted to connect two cables. Fig. 3 is a top plan view,

with the box partly broken away, showing the interior thereof. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 1 2 of Figs. 2 and 3; and Fig. 5 is a top plan view, with the box partly broken away, showing the interior thereof of a connector adapted to connect three cables.

I use for the electrical connection of the conductor of a cable with other conductors at the engine-house, &c., an end-closure, thus termed because the insulating-layer of lead cable covering the conductor is to be closed air-tight against the permeation of moisture, which destroys the insulation of the cable. With cables the conductor of which consists of a single solid wire the end-closure is an insulating-sheathing A-for instance, a rubber hose shoved on, a rubber band wound around, or a woven or braided tape saturated with an insulating compound coiled around the cable. The several layers put on the conductor, and of which the cable is composed, are cut off into steps before the application of the insulating-sheathing A, so that it covers part of the surface of the conductor 0, part of the insulating-layer as covering the conductor and part of the lead covering (1, and part of the insulating and protecting layer a." surrounding the lead covering. In this manner between the conducting-wires and lead covering a sufficiently large space is provided so that no loss of current by shortcircuiting can take place, and, besides, the insulating-layer covering the conductor is hermetically closed against the permeation of moisture. The conductive connection of the said end of a solid-wire conductor with other conductors is accomplished in the manner known by means of binding-screws.

The connector illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 serves to connect two cables of the same or different cross-section of the conductor. It consists of two rectangular metal blocks 0, provided with grooves and perforated near their corners, which blocks, with their grooved surfaces embracing the conductors, are firmly pressed together by means of screws f passing through the said perforations. Any testwires which have been twisted up with the copper conductors are bent somewhat upwardly and electrically connected with each other by means of two clamps e and an insulated connecting-wire 70. 'In order to well insulate this joint and to protect it from mechanical injury, as well as to prevent the permeation of moisture into the insulating-layer surrounding the conductor, an iron box is used, which consists of two flanged halves, into which the cable ends, already protected from moisture in the manner hereinbefore described, are introduced. The flange of the bottom half is provided with a groove, to be filled with hemp or any other packing material, the flange of the upper half receiving a projection which, on screwing the halves together, enters into the said groove, and thus firmly presses the packing material into it. At the place where the cables are introduced into the box both the halves of the box receive semi-cylindrical apertures with a groove on for the reception of the packing material.

In order to screw both the halves of the box together, the flanges at the places where the cables are introduced are provided with cuts for the reception of the screws n. The top of the box is rounded out in the shape of an obtuse cone, the upper part of which cone is provided with a thread for the reception of ihe'screW-plug h. When both halves of the box are firmly screwed together, the entire hollow space is filled with an insulating compound and closed by the screw-plug.

A T-shaped box is provided for the electrical connection of a branch line with a main through-going cable, and also for an electrical connection of three cables meeting at a certain point. The construction of this agrees in the main with the straight box above de scribed. The difference consists in the two rectangular metal blocks of the connector re ceiving an additional groove, running laterally, suited to the circumference of the third conductor, and in the two halves of the box receiving a lateral widening with an aperture for the passage of the third cable. The introduction of the cable, the packing, and the filling with the insulating compound is accomplished in the same manner as with the connection-box described heretofore.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a connector for underground cables, the combination, with a box constructed of two halves having a corresponding groove and flange, the upper half thereof forming a dome and having a screw-hole in the upper part thereof, of metallic blocks having grooves therein for receiving the cables and contained within the said box, blocks for connecting test-wires, also contained within the said box, the remaining space therein being filled with liquid insulating material, and a screw-plug fitting into the screw-hole in the dome of the box, as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BROR I-IEHMING \VESSLAU.

Witnesses:

MAX WAGNER, B. R01. 

